Just got a replacement front door, the usual Stanley steel type. I want to
put one of the oversized peepholes in it that rquires a 1 inch hole. What
is the best way to make such a hole? I'm assuming the good old spade bit
won't work, and my little cup saw/drills won't like the metal either. Any
advice?

- Magnusfarce

In article , "Magnusfarce" wrote:
Just got a replacement front door, the usual Stanley steel type. I want to
put one of the oversized peepholes in it that rquires a 1 inch hole. What
is the best way to make such a hole? I'm assuming the good old spade bit
won't work, and my little cup saw/drills won't like the metal either. Any
advice?

Get a hole saw that's made for cutting metal.

hole saw should do it make sure you have some kind of jig to keep the drill
at the right angle if not you will wind up looking at the stars!

http://www.mytoolstore.com/starrett/hole001.html

Wayne


"Magnusfarce" wrote in message
...
Just got a replacement front door, the usual Stanley steel type. I want
to
put one of the oversized peepholes in it that rquires a 1 inch hole. What
is the best way to make such a hole? I'm assuming the good old spade bit
won't work, and my little cup saw/drills won't like the metal either. Any
advice?

- Magnusfarce

If you are just punching one door a regular black bell to fit your mandrel will
work. Just plan on throwing it away. I punched two 2" guage holes in an old
metal dash board with one and that is a lot thicker metal than a door.
It was smokin a might there toward the end tho. The paint on the dash was OK
tho.

"Magnusfarce" wrote in message
...
Just got a replacement front door, the usual Stanley steel type. I want
to
put one of the oversized peepholes in it that rquires a 1 inch hole. What
is the best way to make such a hole? I'm assuming the good old spade bit
won't work, and my little cup saw/drills won't like the metal either. Any
advice?

- Magnusfarce


I used a dremel with a grinding bit to enlarge the hole for my larger
peeping device.

"SQLit" wrote in message
news:sWtId.14949$Nu.1342@fed1read04...

"Magnusfarce" wrote in message
...
Just got a replacement front door, the usual Stanley steel type. I want
to
put one of the oversized peepholes in it that rquires a 1 inch hole.
What
is the best way to make such a hole? I'm assuming the good old spade bit
won't work, and my little cup saw/drills won't like the metal either.
Any
advice?

- Magnusfarce


I used a dremel with a grinding bit to enlarge the hole for my larger
peeping device.


You must be good with that dremel! I always end up with a mess. But I must
say, I had a friend that was so good with one of those things that said he
could build a house with it!...
Take care, Ross

"Magnusfarce" wrote in message
...
Just got a replacement front door, the usual Stanley steel type. I want
to
put one of the oversized peepholes in it that rquires a 1 inch hole. What
is the best way to make such a hole? I'm assuming the good old spade bit
won't work, and my little cup saw/drills won't like the metal either. Any
advice?

How big is the lip around the edge of the peephole? Proper answer is to go
to the industrial supply and get a proper hole saw for metal (or even just a
1-inch bit, if they carry them that big), but for a one-time job, that is
probably pretty expensive. I'd carefully lay out and scribe the hole, from
both sides, and drill lotsa tiny holes inside the scribe line. Drill a pilot
hole all the way through, to keep your centers lined up. Eventually, you
will get it to the point you can pop it out of there, and clean up the hole
with a file. The skin metal on a residential-grade door is thinner than a
car fender, in most cases. Use sharp bits, and try not to lean on the door
as you work- center section of most cheap steel doors is just filled with
foam, and it is easy to make things look like a crushed and straightened
beer can. Recommend one of those collar things on the drill, or even a
pre-drilled block of wood to use as a jig, to keep bit perpendicular to the
plane of the door.

aem sends....

i did this last year on 2 doors. It was a bitch. Next time I would use a
dremel first to see if that worked better.


"ameijers" wrote in message
...

"Magnusfarce" wrote in message
...
Just got a replacement front door, the usual Stanley steel type. I want
to
put one of the oversized peepholes in it that rquires a 1 inch hole.
What
is the best way to make such a hole? I'm assuming the good old spade bit
won't work, and my little cup saw/drills won't like the metal either.
Any
advice?

How big is the lip around the edge of the peephole? Proper answer is to go
to the industrial supply and get a proper hole saw for metal (or even just
a
1-inch bit, if they carry them that big), but for a one-time job, that is
probably pretty expensive. I'd carefully lay out and scribe the hole, from
both sides, and drill lotsa tiny holes inside the scribe line. Drill a
pilot
hole all the way through, to keep your centers lined up. Eventually, you
will get it to the point you can pop it out of there, and clean up the
hole
with a file. The skin metal on a residential-grade door is thinner than a
car fender, in most cases. Use sharp bits, and try not to lean on the door
as you work- center section of most cheap steel doors is just filled with
foam, and it is easy to make things look like a crushed and straightened
beer can. Recommend one of those collar things on the drill, or even a
pre-drilled block of wood to use as a jig, to keep bit perpendicular to
the
plane of the door.

aem sends....

Magnusfarce wrote:
Just got a replacement front door, the usual Stanley steel type. I
want to
put one of the oversized peepholes in it that rquires a 1 inch hole.
What
is the best way to make such a hole? I'm assuming the good old spade
bit
won't work, and my little cup saw/drills won't like the metal either.
Any
advice?

- Magnusfarce

Sorry to jump in so late, but one thing you could use is a unibit:

http://tinyurl.com/6wrx4

They're expensive for a one-time use, but if you think you will ever
use it again, it's a great thing for enlarging existing holes in metal.
Any decent hardware store would have these.

Ken

In article ,
Magnusfarce wrote:
Just got a replacement front door, the usual Stanley steel type. I want to
put one of the oversized peepholes in it that rquires a 1 inch hole. What
is the best way to make such a hole? I'm assuming the good old spade bit
won't work, and my little cup saw/drills won't like the metal either. Any
advice?

- Magnusfarce



A good quality holesaw will drill through a steel door. Morse and
Starret are 2 brands that come to mind, I once used a Craftsman and it
was about shot when I finished, but OTHO, they replaced it under their
lifetime warranty.


--

Larry Wasserman Baltimore, Maryland

On 1/24/2005 2:32 PM US(ET), Lawrence Wasserman took fingers to keys,
and typed the following:

In article ,
Magnusfarce wrote:


Just got a replacement front door, the usual Stanley steel type. I want to
put one of the oversized peepholes in it that rquires a 1 inch hole. What
is the best way to make such a hole? I'm assuming the good old spade bit
won't work, and my little cup saw/drills won't like the metal either. Any
advice?

- Magnusfarce





A good quality holesaw will drill through a steel door. Morse and
Starret are 2 brands that come to mind, I once used a Craftsman and it
was about shot when I finished, but OTHO, they replaced it under their
lifetime warranty.


I used a 3/4" holesaw to drill a hole in the top of a stainless steel
sink for a separate drinking water fountain (bypassing the water
softener). By the time I got 1/2 of the way through, it was just burning
a groove in the SS. I didn't have another 3/4" holesaw, so I continued
until I had burned through enough SS to be able to punch the disk out. I
had to finish up the hole with a quarter round metal file to smooth some
rather nasty jagged edges. I wonder if it was a Craftsman and I could
have gotten a replacement? I wound up buying a new 3/4 holesaw at HD on
another visit.

--
Bill